I’ve been seeing more advertising lately (especially on tv) for Intuit’s do-it-yourself website design. Intuit and Homestead are the same company. You may have heard of Homestead – especially if you’ve done any kind of internet search on building your own website, Homestead ranks right at the top.
I’ve used Homestead, in fact I like their product. As with all do-it-yourself sitebuilders however, there is a bit of a learning curve and things can get overwhelming. So if you haven’t read my article DIY Website Warning, you may want to check it out. It contains some great things to think about before you jump in to one of these anyone-can-do-it sitebuilders.
Here are a few tips for using Homestead, if you decide to go that route…
- Have a basic knowledge of desktop publishing. Working in programs such as MS Publisher will be a great help when using their interface.
- Their templates are not bad, but many are not the most modern looking. The good news is you do have complete control in jazzing one up! Make sure not to just use their standard template. Customize one to your specific branding. You can also design your site from a blank page. Just don’t go crazy – remember Less is More!
- Once you’ve customized your template, you can’t just change it and keep all your content like some other sitebuilders. So make sure your design is finalized first (and utilize the master page!) and then plug in your content.
- Download their sitebuilder software to your computer for major edits. It works much better than their online editor which is more geared for minor edits.
- To have a 5-page site, it will cost you about $120 a year. The $4.99/month advertised rate is just for the first three months, then it goes up to $9.95 per month. And, they require you prepay for the year. (Note: We can offer similar options that average $50/year, have unlimited pages, and are easier to use.)
If you are sold on using Homestead/Intuit, great! But, if you find out it takes more time than you have to learn and implement, give Small Business Design Solutions a shout! We know the Homestead interface and how to build your site to get noticed using their product. Our prices are extremely affordable and just may be worth the investment to save you time and give your website a professional, pleasing and targeted look.
Learn more about Small Business Design Solutions at our website.
